Stapling or discontinuous wire stitching machine



1934- J. I. NASMITH ET AL 1,980,592

STAPLING OR DISCONTINUOUS WIRE STITCHING MACHINE Filed March 5. 1932 3 mmlunmg Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES STAPLING OR DISCONTINUOUS WIRE STITCHING MACHINE John Irving Nasmith and Wilfred Kirby, London,

England, assignors to Vickers-Armstrongs Limited, Westminster, England, a British company Application March 5, 1932, Serial No. 596,960

In Great Britain May 30, 1931 12 Claims.

This invention relates to stapling or discontinuous wire stitching machines and has particular reference to the mechanism for cutting the wire which is fed into the machine, so as to provide the separate portions or lengths required to form the staple. In wire stitching machines of the kind referred to as heretofore constructed, one of the cutting knives or members is stationary during the operation of the machine, and the other and movable knife is directly carried by the member used for forming the cut length of wire into a staple, or by a separate member provided for the purpose, the cutting operation in either case being effected or performed by the timed 5 actuation of the member carrying the knife. The

mounting in order to provide a new cutting edge without re-grinding. In order to make this adjustment, however, it is necessary to remove or dismantle a portion of the machine. The chief object of the present invention is to provide improved cutting-off mechanism for machines as above referred to, which enables adjustments of the actuated or movable knife to be readily effected and also permits of a wide range of adjustments being made.

According to this invention the actuated or movable knife is so mounted and connected with its actuating mechanism that it can be readily adjusted by longitudinal or endwise movement to present a new portion of the cutting edge without the use of any tool and without disedge into use can be effected for each cutting edge when it is in the operative position. The said movable knife may be angularly movable to effect the cutting operation, for whichpurpose it may be pivotally mounted at one end and connected with a vertically movable actuating member at its other end. In order to bring a new portion of the cutting edge into use when required, the pivotal point can be adjusted to change the longitudinal disposition of the knife and its operative cutting edge relatively to the cutting position, and the connection of the knife with the actuating member is such that the knife is slidably moved when the pivot point is adjusted as aforesaid. Further, the connection of the knife with its actuating member enables the knife to be readily separated from this member;'for example, the end of the knifemay'mere 1y project into a slot in the actuating member from which it can be readily withdrawn; whilst the other and pivoted end of the knife may be easily disconnectedrfrom. the pivotiabout which it is angularly moved, so that by separating the knife from its actuating member and its pivot and reversing its position either transversely or longitudinally, any one of the several cutting edges can be placed in the operative position in which the aforesaid adjustment can be made, to present a new portion of the operative cutting edge as and when required. I

In order that the said invention may: be: clear-,- ly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be more f'ully described. with reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichz- 4 a Figure 1 is a front view-of one'construction of the cutting mechanism according-to this invention. I Figures 2 and 3 are reverse or opposite side views illustrating the movable knife in diflerent positions. 1 1

Figure 4 is a perspective View ofthe movable knife. L A represents the actuated or movable knife which as shown more particularly in Figure 4 is provided with cutting portions A KKA A. on its upper and lower edges, the cutting portion A being shown in Figures 2 and 3 in the opera tive or cutting position. The said knife A is also provided with holes A adjacent to its ends A", which latter are enlarged and rounded as shown, for the purpose hereinafter referred to. B indicates the stationary knife or cuttingmember having an aperture or passage B through which the continuous length of wire is fed to thecutting position. 0 represents the vertically movable actuating member that imparts the necessary movement to the knife A to enable the latter to effect the cutting operation. D represents a fixed part of the machine frame in which the knife actuating member C and also the staple forming member D (which latter forms no part of the present invention) are slidably mounted, both the members C and D being covered at the front by a plate D that may be screwed or other- Wise-attached to the frame D. In the exampleshown, the knife actuating member C is vertically moved in the machine frame by means of a rotary cam plate C against which bears a roller C carried by the upper end of the knife actuating member C, the said cam plate during its revolutionj serving to push the actuating-member downwardly against the action of a spring (not shown) that maintains the roller C at-allthe. operative position. By changing orreversing the position of the knife longitudinally,the cuttimes in contact with the cam plate and also. causes the return or upward movement of the actuating member. The lower'end ofthe actuat- -arepla'ced adjacent to the fixed knife B and ing member C is slotted at C toreceive 'eith'erof the enlarged and roundedends of themovable knife A, the other end of the latter being pivotally attached by means of a removable pivot or stud E to the bifurcated lower end of a lever E which is pivotally mounted at E on'a lug D? projecting from the aforesaid cover plate D secured to the machine frame. The removable pivot E can be readily inserted in holes in the bifurcated lower en'ctxof the lever E and in either of the holes A in the knife A'and it is held in'place by a light flat spring E which is carried on the lever and canzbe readily displaced to permit of-the pivot E .v being. withdrawn for the purpose of enabling the; knife A'to be quickly separated or disconnected from the lever E; The upper end of the lever'E is bifurcated to embrace the outer end of an adjusting screw F. that is threaded into the cover. plateiD andv is provided with a head F andman abutment; F between which the upper end of .theleverE is located as shown. The screw head F may :be'provided with a milled edge or maybe .otherwise formed to enable thescrew to be readily rotated and axially moved further into-orout of the cover plate to vary the angular position of the lever E to which the knife A is attached. by thevpivot pin E When the knife actuatingmember C is; moved downwardly by the aforesaid cam plate Cl against the action ofwthe spring as-hereinbefore referred to, ithe='knife-,A which fits at one end in the slot D in thesaid member C as aforesaid, is angularly moved onthe aforesaid pivot pin E carried-by the:arm;E;so :that thetcutting portion Alof the knifetraverses the aperture B in the fixed knife or cutting member B and thus severs the wire .which-j is fed through this aperture. Theenlarged rounded endA of the cutting knife that fits in the slot C in the actuating member C, permits of :freewangularl movement of the knifewhen the actuating member is vertically moved and this .m'ethod'of connection also enablesthe knife to be :slidably moved in the slot and to be readily dis connected from the actuating member by merely vwithdrawingthe enlarged end A from the said slot.- .For the purpose of enabling a fresh portion of the operative cutting edge of the knife A to be brought into use, the aforesaid; adjusting 'screw F may be locked in the position to which it is setxby any appropriatemeans, for example, by

'a spring detent (not shown) that may engage with the'i 'milled edge or other part on the screw head 1E so-as to'retain'the lever E and the knife Aii ting edges A andA at the other end of the knife either of these cutting edges can be brought into the operative position by transverse reversal of the knife. Thus any one of the four cutting edges can be readily brought into use when required,

and the adjustment by means of the aforesaid screw F can be effected for each of the cutting edges when in the operative position, so that the entire length of each cutting edge can be used. Instead of providing a separate actuating memberfor operating the knife as hereindescribed and illustrated, the knife may be actuated by the vertically movable staple forming member or by a part connected therewith. v a I What we claim and desire to secure by letters Patent of the United States is:-

1.,Cutting mechanism for a machine of the kind referred to, comprising a movable and rock ableknife bar, actuating mechanism forrocking theknife' bar and means whereby the rocking knife is freely connected with its actuating mechanism so that it can beslidably adjusted by longitudinal or endwise movement of the knife bar to bring a new portion of the cutting edge into the cutting position without the use of. a tooland without dismantling or removing any part of the machine or mechanism. v 2; Cutting mechanism for a machine ofthe kind referred to, comprising a rockableknife bar having a plurality of oppositely disposed cutting edges, actuating mechanism for the rocking knife and means whereby the knife can be disconnected fro-m its actuating mechanism by merely with drawing it by the naked hand to enable it to be reversed to bring a different cutting edge into the operative position.

3. Cutting mechanism for a machine of the kind referred to, comprising a knife-bar detachably mounted at one end for angular and pivotal movements, the knife having a plurality, of cutting edges, said mounting being detachable in such away as toenable any oneoffthe cutting edges to be brought into operative position, and a vertically movable actuating member for the knife-bar with which the other end of the knifebar is longitudinally slidably'connected to permit adjustment. a

v 4. Cutting mechanism for a machine; of the kind referred to, comprising a knife having a plurality of cutting edges which is angularly movable'about a pivot, means for moving the said knife about its pivot and means for adjusting the pivot to vary the longitudinal position of the knife in relation to the cutting position, said longitudinal adjustment bringing a fresh portion of the cutting edge into the cutting position.

5. Cutting mechanismfor a machine of the kind referred to, comprising an actuated'knife, a lever mounted on a fixed part of the machine or mechanism and connected with one'end of the said knife, a vertically movable actuating member connected with the other end of the knife and means for angularly adjusting the saidlever to vary the position of the pivot and the knife.

6. Cutting mechanism for a machine of the kind referred to, comprising an actuated knife, a lever mounted on a fixed part of the machine or mechanism and connected with one end of the said knife, a vertically movable actuating member connected with the other end of the knife, means for angularly adjusting the said lever to vary the position of the pivot and the knife, and means whereby the knife pivot is readily removable to enable the knife to be disconnected from the said lever without the use of a tool.

7. Cutting mechanism for a machine of the kind referred to, comprising a knife having a plurality of cutting edges and angularly movable about a pivot at one end of the knife, a vertically movable actuating member, a connection between one end of the said knife and the vertically movable member to permit of slidable movement or adjustment of the knife relatively to the member, and means for moving the knife pivot so as to adjust the longitudinal position of the said knife, relatively to the cutting position, the longitudinal adjustment bringing a fresh portion of the cutting edge into cutting position.

8. Cutting mechanism as in claim '7, in which the said vertically movable member is provided with a slot to receive the end of the knife remote from its pivotal connection.

9. Cutting mechanism for a machine of the I kind referred to, comprising an actuated knife,

a vertically movable member for angularly moving said knife about a pivot, a lever carrying said pivot, said lever being pivotally mounted on a' fixed part, an adjusting screw engaging with the said lever and adapted to be operated to vary the position of the lever and the said pivot to adjust the knife in relation to the cutting position.

10. Cutting mechanism for a machine of the kind referred to, comprising a movable knife, a pivot for said knife, a pivoted lever carrying said pivot, the end of the knife remote from the pivot fitting in a slot in the said actuating member, and an adjusting screw for engaging with said lever to vary the position of the knife in relation to the cutting position.

11. Cutting mechanism for a machine of the kind referred to, comprising a movable knife having a plurality of cutting edges, a pivot for said movable knife, a pivoted lever carrying said pivot, the end of the knife remote from the pivot fitting in a slot in the said actuating member, and an adjusting screw for engaging with said lever to vary the position of the knife in relation to the cutting position, and readily displaceable means whereby the pivot can be removed without the use of a tool to enable the knife to be reversed to bring a different cutting edge into the operative position.

12. For use in cutting mechanism for a machine of the kind referred to, a knife provided with cutting portions on its upper and lower edges adjacent to the ends where pivot holes are provided, the said ends being enlarged and rounded.

JOHN IRVING NASMITH. WILFRED KIRBY. 

